Let's Do This One Last Time
by Cauryn Terenkey
Summary: Yukito failed in his mission to free The Girl in the Sky, and continued his life far away from the tiny oceanside town he met her in. However, his death results in the responsability falling on his son's shoulders. Can Ryuuya do what Yukito couldn't?
1. Death in the Family, New Journey

"_The Girl in the Sky, She had always said that she had wanted to see the ocean…_

"_But…I couldn't take her in time…._

"_The Girl dreams, she dreams all the time. The first one is about the Sky. And her dreams keep going back in time. They plague her. She starts to feel pain for no reason. Eventually she starts to loose her memories. She wont even remember the people she loves the most. And on the morning after her final dream… She will die. She remains forever alone. It is her terrible fate. If she becomes attached to anyone, both she and the person she loves will fall ill. Neither one will survive. _

"_She told me she hated me, pushed me away so violently at the last moment. She told me, screamed at me, that she hated me, that she wished we had never met. It is why I survived. She was a kind girl, a strong girl. She was able to push me away, hate me for only a moment. She protected me, but…I couldn't protect her. _

"_There is a girl with wings who lives in the sky. She is always alone. And she perishes, never having had the chance to grow up. She repeats her sad dreams over and over and over again…."_

It was Ryuuya's favorite story. Had been since he was small, and it remained so all through his life. Whenever his father told him this story, he got a far off look in his eyes.

He noticed something as he grew though, his mother was never in the house when his father told him that story, or they were outside. It was always just him and his father, alone.

He also watched their marriage disintegrate. His father loved his mother, but he came to see what she did. Yukito's heart, would never be hers completely. He still loved the girl in the sky.

The one he had failed to save.

And now here he was, weakened, dying, still smiling at his son.

/;*;\

"Dad, you're going to be okay, don't worry." Ryuuya said, leaning on the side of the bed after Yukito once again got through the story, he tended to repeat it as often as he could now.

"No, Ryuu, and you know that as well as I do." Yukito said, looking at the opposite wall. "I suppose your mother will be glad to be rid of me."

"Dad don't say that!" Ryuuya snapped, standing quickly. "Mom loves you! And you love her!" Yukito looked up at his son from his sitting position on the hospital bed, the beeps from the various machinery filling the silence.

"I know. I love Rena. I really do, but as I am sure you have seen, just as she has, that my heart still belongs to her."

_Misuzu…_ Ryuuya thought. Yukito was right, Ryuuya had known for about ten years now, that his parents weren't as close as they let on. It had really been a fluke, Ryuuya to be exact, that his parents had gotten married in the first place.

"I tried, believe me." Yukito sighed. "To love your mother with all my heart, to let her go. But… part of me wouldn't… forget about her…" Yukito let his voice trail off, lost in thought once again. Ryuuya sat down, looking up when he saw his mother walk in. He smiled, and she smiled back. Yukito looked up, and Ryuuya immediately felt like a third wheel, the tension in the air changed the moment his parents made eye contact. His mothers eyes were angry, full of hurt. His fathers were sad, full of remorse. Yukito had tried over the years to give his family what they needed, and had come through, for all but Rena. Ryuuya knew the only thought going through Yukito's head at that moment.

_I've failed her, again…_

/;*;\

"HEY RYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYAAAAAAAAAA!"

Ryuuya turned and waved to his friend, Kazu. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much." Kazu said, falling into step beside Ryuuya. "Had a pretty boring weekend. Stopped by your place but no one was home."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was at the hospital."

"Oh yeah! Sorry man, I completely forgot. How's your old man doing?" Kazu asked. Ryuuya sighed.

"Worse. He just keeps getting steadily worse. He's living in the past now, except for when my mother comes in. When it just us though, he keeps telling me about when he was my age, how he dropped out of school and went traveling, putting on puppet shows and the like."

"I remember those! He didn't even use strings, he was pretty good at it too."

"That is how he met my mom." Ryuuya grinned. " He likes to tell me about that too."

"I feel sorry for you!" Kazu laughed, throwing an arm around Ryuuya's shoulders. Ryuuya shook his head, wiping the few strands of silver hair from his forehead that stubbornly fell back into place. He was lucky he went to a school that allowed long hair, or else his mid-back length would be gone, and he would be an exact replica of his father.

"You know, I find it odd that you don't take after your mother, Ryuu." Kazu said suddenly. "There is nothing about you that reminds me of her."

"I've thought about that too." Ryuuya said. I think that's one reason we aren't very close. I remind her of Dad, so she probably thinks I don't lover her either."

"Wait… what?" Kazu asked as they entered their classroom on the third floor. Ryuuya sighed.

"Okay, you already know that my parents married because of me, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, my Dad met this girl when he was about my age, when he used to travel from town to town, searching for the Girl in the Sky."

"Yep, remember that."

"Well, he was never able to let her go. She died at the end of the summer that they met. He's tried, but he just can't love my mother like he loved her." Ryuuya said, looking out the window as the rest of the class meandered about them.

"Maaan. That's rough." Kazu said. There was a moment of silence, filled by the chattering of students. "Say, did your dad ever find that puppet?"

"The one his mother gave him? No. gone for good, unfortunately." Ryuuya sighed.

"Oh well." Kazu yawned. "Hey, loosen up, your old man'll get better. Your acting like-"

"A moody teenager whose life has taken an odd turn due to a series of supernatural, preordained events?" Ryuuya asked, smiling a bit. Kazu blinked, then burst out laughing.

"There we go! There's the Ryuuya I know and lo-well, my best friend at any rate." Ryuuya smirked and went to reply, but the teacher walked in, and he shut his mouth.

/;*;\

"He wants to talk to you." Rena said, walking out of the room Yukito was in. Ryuuya looked up quickly. He had been sitting in the only available chair, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped together and staring at the floor, still in his school uniform. He stood and hurried into the room, closing the door behind him. He sat down beside Yukito, who was lying down now, biting his lip.

"Dad?"

"I'll be okay. don't worry." Yukito said, but his voice and face lacked his usual smile. Ryuuya clenched his hands, fisting the material of his pants. His father couldn't even fake for him anymore.

"Dad, you can't, you're still… you're strong enough to get through this!" Ryuuya said quietly. Yukito shook his head.

"No, and I told you before, you know this too. I wont make it. I have lived my life, however sad it was at times." He looked at Ryuuya in such a way that Ryuuya stood to lean over his father. "Ryuuya, about the girl. It's up to you what you do with the information I gave to you. You can forget all about her if you want. Just know, I am not asking you to find her. Whether or not you do is up to you entirely, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Ryuuya said. "But if I do, I can't do anything like you did, I can't perform those puppet shows. I have no talent with magic." Yukito laughed.

"You forget, I had hardly any talent at all either. But you'll find a way, you'll think of something." Yukito said. "Just, if you do go, finish school first, okay?"

"Yeah, wont be too hard, I only have a little while left." Ryuuya said. He felt like smiling, but something was preventing him from doing so.

"Good to know…" Yukito said, smiling a bit. "Good luck." He said, looking at the ceiling. Ryuuya watched in horror as his fathers breaths became shorter, and gripped Yukito's hand. He tried not to cry as Yukito's hand tightened around his, loosening only moments later. Ryuuya slowly collapsed back into the chair, the long beep from the heart monitor becoming nothing but a droning background noise as he replayed the last thing Yukito had said.

_Misuzu…_

/;*;\

Ryuuya watched as Yukito was placed in the oven for cremation. He was silent, as was his mother. Yet they were silent for very different reasons. She simply did what was expected of her, while Ryuuya felt the loss deeply. He knew he would not forget about the girl it he sky, not when it had been so important to his father. And now that Yukito was gone, it felt as if the responsibility to free her from her curse was placed upon his shoulders. Ryuuya looked at the letter in his hand, from his father. It requested he go to the town he met Misuzu in, and spread his ashes along the shoreline. He even described the place he wanted Ryuuya to do it in perfect detail.

After it was done, Ryuuya accepted the pot Yukito's ashes were in, and held it carefully. He bowed to the staff of the funeral home, and followed his mother out. The ride back to their home was silent, Rena pointedly ignoring the pot Ryuuya still held.

They entered the house, neither talking to the other. Rena heading for the kitchen.

"I'll get dinner started." She said. Ryuuya nodded, not knowing if she had seen him or not. He headed for his room, pausing when he saw the futon his father had taken to sleeping on before he fell ill in the small family room. How many years had he slept there?

For almost as long as Ryuuya could remember. Was his mother really glad Yukito was gone? Entering his room, Ryuuya placed the jar on his desk, and sat on his bed, staring at it. He wondered if his mother would get mad enough to just toss it out. Ryuuya really didn't want to know if she would. She had begun to be a stranger in the past couple years, and he didn't know her anymore.

***********

"Kunisaki Ryuuya!"

Ryuuya stood slowly as he was expected, and walked up to the podium to accept his diploma. He had simply drifted though the ceremony, detached from the excitement. Kazu had watched him worriedly, but said nothing as he waited for the ceremony to finish. Things had not gone well at home between Ryuuya and his mother since Yukito's death. They didn't fight, but more like they just avoided each other. Once the students were free to go, Kazu approached Ryuuya worriedly.

"Hey man, you talked to your mom at all lately? I didn't see her in the parents section.

"Not once since Dad died." Ryuuya sighed. "I remind her too much of him, we were practically identical."

"That's a little harsh." Kazu said, leaning on his desk. Ryuuya looked at his bag. There he had hidden Yukito's ashes in a container different than the ashes had been placed in. "What you going to do now?"

"Well, Mom wants me to go to a college she had me apply to. I got accepted and everything." Ryuuya sighed, leaning his chin on his hand.

"So you gonna go?" Kazu asked. Ryuuya sighed and looked out the window.

"…I don't know…"

/;*;\

"RYUUYA!" Rena exclaimed as she burst into the front hall, seeing her son sitting on the edge of the floor, putting his shoes on. He had a large duffel on the floor beside him, the same one Yukito had used so many years before. "Ryuuya, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to do what Dad wanted. I'm going back to the town where he met the Girl in the Sky, and I'm going to spread his ashes along the beach where she died."

"Ryuuya, you'll miss the entrance ceremony for the university!" Rena exclaimed.

"I'm not going to college." Ryuuya said, standing. Rena stared at him in shock as he shouldered the bag. "I'm going to do what Dad couldn't."

"So what now? You'll throw your life away for a stupid story!?" Rena snapped, glaring at her son. "It was just a stupid coincidence that he met that girl!"

"I'm not going to throw my life away. If I can break this curse, no one else has to go through this again. No one." Ryuuya said, his hand resting on the door frame.

"This same damn story tore our family apart!" Rena nearly screamed. Ryuuya paused as he opened the door, halfway out. He looked over his shoulder, the look on his face unreadable.

"Only because you let it." He said before leaving, shutting the door slowly behind him.

Rena stood in silence as she heard his bike rev up from around the corner of the house, then speed by the front and fade away down the street.

* * *

Okay, mys first shot at an AIR fan fcition. I really hope you like it.

and to picture Ryuuya, just look at the guy from Kanna's time and add modern clothes ^^


	2. Seaside Nostalgia

Ryuuya yawned and stretched, looking out the window of the bus he was on. It was sunrise, and he was coming up on the small ocean-side town that his father had been at so long ago.

The bus paused long enough for Ryuuya to get off, and even though it began to move the moment he set foot on the concrete outside, he turned and bowed anyway. Sighing, he opened up his wallet and grimaced. He was running low on funds again. Doing odd jobs here and there had gotten him this far, but he would be stuck camping out here for awhile before he had the money to keep going. He had even sold his bike for money. But he smiled as he remembered what his father had told him. Yukito had come here by foot, no money, no food, and hadn't had a bath for who knew how long.

Readjusting the bag on his shoulder, Ryuuya walked down the road, coming upon an old vending machine just beside a concrete wall overlooking the ocean. He kicked the thing, wondering if it even still worked. Probably didn't, who drank peach juice anymore? Ryuuya looked over at the wall, knowing it was a similar spot that his father had first met Misuzu. Smiling, Ryuuya set off up the road to find somewhere to rest before sunset. He looked at the letter from Yukito in his hand, and sighed sadly. After he was done here, then what would he do?

He had NO idea.

He was hearing the top of the hill, when someone waving caught his attention. She was obviously drunk, and very much so as she was laughing like he was the funniest looking guy on the planet (ok, so maybe he was…), and she was leaning on the wall for support. Ryuuya stopped before her, sighing when she took another swig of Sake.

"Can I help you ma'am?" He asked.

"You sure can, you block-hic-head. Been 18 years, you dope! Why didncha ever vist, huh? And whydidja gro your hair out? It looksh weird…" The red haired woman growled, pointing clumsily at Ryuuya.

"Um, Ma'am, this is the first time we've met…"

"Whadya mean, the first ti-hic-me we met? Yukito you dope!" She laughed, then drained the bottle.

"Um… I'm not Yukito, I'm Ryuuya." Ryuuya said, sweating a little.

"Just shyadup, you weirdo." the woman said, grabbing Ryuuya by the collar and dragging him into the house. Ryuuya was taken off guard by how stable and strong she was, and soon found himself sitting at a small table. "I'll be jussa sec." the woman grinned sloppily, and then vanished down the hall. Ryuuya heard a door shut, then some water running. About five minutes later, she was back, a towel around her shoulders as she dried her face.

"Um…ma'am, can… can I ask who you are?"

"Yukito, quit being an idiot. You know who I am." the woman said, shifting through her fridge. She seemed rather sober now. Ryuuya growled, standing quickly and slamming his fist onto the table.

"I TOLD you! I'm Ryuuya! Yukito was my father!"

The woman looked at him, looked him up and down, and shrugged.

"So? No need to get mad." She said. "So, where is Yukito? I haven't seen him since after Misuzu's funeral."

"First, who are you?" Ryuuya asked, staring the woman down.

"Aww, he didn't even mention me? I'm Haruko. Misuzu's adopted mom. Didn't he tell you about the girl in the sky mumbo jumbo? He never shut up about it before." Haruko said, opening a box of sushi. Ryuuya stared at her. THIS was Haruko?

"No…no…he talked about you guys a lot. About this town…"

"Yeah, I think that summer was pretty screwed up for all of us." Haruko said, shoving the box of sushi in Ryuuya's direction. "He wrote a letter about you. That was the last I heard form him. Said he was gonna have a kid and was getting married. How is he anyway?" Haruko asked. Ryuuya chewed a bite of fish and rice slowly. He then reached into his battered bag and brought out the ceramic pot his fathers ashes were in.

"He… died. About two months ago." He said quietly. "He never forgot about Misuzu, not once, and it tore my family apart."

"Felt guilty for something he couldn't control, what an idiot." Haruko sighed. "Hang on a minute, I'll be right back." She said, standing again. Ryuuya watched as she vanished down the same hall and came back sooner than before. In her hands she held a tiny puppet.

Ryuuya stared at it in amazement, it looked just like his father had described it to him.

"Here, I was going to give this back to him when I saw him again, but since I wont, I suppose I'll just pass it on to you." Haruko said as Ryuuya held the doll carefully. "I guess you're doing those weird puppet shows too, huh?" Ryuuya flinched at this comment, and hung his head. "Say, what's the matter?"

"I, uh, can't. I can't do those shows my father did." Ryuuya said. Growling a little when Haruko started to laugh.

"Are you _blushing?!_ That is too good."

"Leave me alone. I just have no magical talent whatsoever. I spent hours trying, practicing with my dad and on my own. I never got it to work."

"Well, try with this little guy. Maybe he'll work for you." Haruko said, possibly not thinking to hard about what she said. Ryuuya looked at her with an eyebrow rasied, and then sighed. He may as well.

Laying the puppet on the table, he placed his hands above it, and concentrated. He tried to remember what Yukito had told him about wanting people to laugh with him, about wanting to tell a story.

"It's no good." Ryuuya sighed a minute later. "I told you I was hopeless."

"Well, you win some you loose some." Haruko shrugged. "So, what are you doing for money?"

"Odd jobs here and there. Started off on a bike, had to sell it though. Gas cost too much."

"After you're done here, you know where you're gonna go?" Haruko asked, eating the last of the sushi. Ryuuya shook his head.

"No, no clue." He sighed. "I'll save up some money working around here, then head out."

"How long you think you'll be staying?"

"As I stated before, no clue." Ryuuya said smiling a little.

"Well, why don't-cha stay here for a bit? Your father was quite the free-loader too."

"If you invite me to stay, I'm not a free-loader." Ryuuya growled.

"What ever, details shemtails. Come on, Your father used to sleep out here." Haruko said, heading outside. Ryuuya followed, now curious. Haruko led him to a small shed, and upon opening it, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Nice ain't it? He fixed it all up. Came out great." Haruko said, stepping aside so Ryuuya could enter. "I haven't cleaned it for awhile, so it's a bit dusty, sorry."

"No, it's okay." Ryuuya said.

"Hey, I'll go get dinner, Why don't you relax for a bit?" Haruko asked, indicating the bed.

"Why don't you get stuff we can roast?" Ryuuya asked, spying a pile of fire wood.

"Oh, wow, I forgot that was back there. Misuzu always wanted to have a camp fire. Alright! I'll be back soon!" Haruko laughed and ran off, the sound of a bike soon fading away. Ryuuya stared at the pile of wood, lost in thought.

_If she wasn't… then… is there someone, else?_

/;*;\

Ryuuya looked up at the brightening sky, holding the pot Yukito's ashes were in. He had been crying for several minutes now, and wasn't going to stop anytime soon. He took the lid off of the jar, and once a strong wind came, he turned it upside down, watching the contents scatter on the wind. His hands trembled as he watched the ashes go, soon letting the ceramic pot slip from his hands and shatter on the wall as he collapsed to his knees, covering his face in his hands as he sobbed.

His father was gone for good now, nothing but a memory.

* * *

I hope i'm going a good job with this. I was talking to Luna Silvereyes about this, and i seem to be mixing things from both the anime and movie. hope thats okay ^^

Haruko was a little hard, but i think she came out great.

i really hope you all stick with me through this, i can't promise steady updates. sorry.


	3. A Familiar Face, No Turning Back Now

Ryuuya had left the seaside town a week later after working part time for several people around town, all of whom remembered his father. One in-particular was the towns physician, who liked to tease him to no end.

All in all, he had been glad to get out. Especially when Haruko had made him drink almost every night. She had thrown a small farewell party for him, just the two of them, the night before he had planned to leave.

He was now sporting a rather impressive hangover, and though he had taken painkillers and acid depressants, his head still spun and throbbed, while his stomach churned. He was lucky enough to have brought some sleeping pills, he would have to sleep this off.

Looking out the window of the bus he was currently on, Ryuuya opened his bottle of water, popped two liquid pills into his mouth, and swallowed them. He then curled up in his seat and fell asleep gratefully.

/***\

"Sir? Sir, please, wake up."

"Hunnn? Wha?" Ryuuya grumbled opening his eyes.

"Sir, your bus fare has been expended, you must get off."

Ryuuya jumped up, still half asleep. "Sorry, sorry, I leavn'." Yawning, he grabbed his only travel item and stumbled off of the bus. It had been two weeks since he had left the tiny seaside town. He had been wandering along the coast, slowly forgetting why he had even began to travel in the first place.

He waved to the bus sleepily as he yawned. He then blinked slowly, taking in his surroundings. A large bullfrog hopped in front of his feet, making him look down. It croaked, and then hopped away. Ryuuya blinked, and then realized one important thing.

He was in the middle of nowhere.

"WAIT!" He cried, running towards the vanishing lights of the bus. "THIS ISN"T WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO!" Ryuuya slowed, the lights vanishing into the fog of the early morning the trees around him created. "Great, this is just great…" Ryuuya muttered. "I'll just have to wait until some light shows up…" He muttered, moving back towards the bus stop.

Just as he sat, his mobile phone began to ring. Looking at it, Ryuuya groaned. His mother was calling, probably wondering where he was. Why he still had his phone, he didn't know. He clenched the device angrily, glaring at it and the name on the tiny little screen.

He had no idea he would ever be this angry at his mother. Their last conversation hadn't been a pleasant one, it had been while he was staying at Haruko's, and she had wanted to drink. They had drunk a bit already when Rena had called, so Ryuuya stepped outside. The door had been open, through which Haruko could be heard listening to the TV and laughing.

"_Yeah? What is it?" Ryuuya asked. _

"_You sound just like your father when I met him. What's the matter?" Rena asked, her tone teasing._

"_Nothing. What did you need?" Ryuuya replied, trying not to sound quite as cold as he first had._

"_I was wondering if you were coming home soon. The semester at the university is about to start. If you hurried back, I'm sure that you would make it in time. I already have all of your books."_

"_I already told you, I'm not going to college. You can sell those back."_

"_Then what do you plan to do with the rest of your life?" Rena asked, her voice becoming sharp._

"_I told you. I'm going to find the girl. I'm the only person who can help her now."_

"_That damn story again." Rena hissed. _

"_Hey, Ryuuuuu! Whatcha doin'? come on, drink some more!" Haruko laughed, leaning out the door. _

"_Just a sec." Ryuuya told her, directing his mouth away from the mouth piece of the phone. _

"_Who was that Ryuuya? It sounded like a girl." Rena asked. _

"_So what if it was?" Ryuuya snapped, not liking the accusing tone in his mothers voice. _

"_What are you doing? Drinking? You'll end up in the same boat Your father did!"_

"_Haruko is an old friend of Dad's." Ryuuya growled. "She's a responsible adult!" He could hardly keep himself from yelling into the phone. "And I'm sorry to hear you think I was a mistake." He angrily hung up after, and shut the phone off. Shoving the sorry device into his pocket, he stalked back inside and grabbed the bottle of Sake sitting on the table and tipped the whole thing into his mouth. Haruko watched him quietly. _

"_Easy bud, you'll hurt yourself." She said as he took the bottle away, panting. _

"_I really don't care." Ryuuya said. _

"_Hey, don't pay any attention to your mom, okay?" Haruko said. "And pay more attention to this!" she grinned pulling afresh bottle out from under the table. Ryuuya smiled. Where did she hide stuff like that?_

Growling at his phone, Ryuuya flung it away from him, making it skid across the road and vanish into the weeds on the other side. After a few more rings, it quieted. Sighing, Ryuuya shouldered his pack and walked down the road to a place where he thought he would no longer hear the phone ringing and sat down. The ground was a bit damp, but he didn't mind. He lay his head on the pack he had set on the ground and slowly shut his eyes, letting the nightly noises lull him to sleep.

/;*;\

Ryuuya woke slowly, a sun beam falling across his face and the first buss of the morning rumbling past. Ryuuya remembered the ignored phone call from his mother and grumbled. He should've made sure it would have gotten run over. Yawning and stretching, Ryuuya stood and shouldered his pack. Stepping out onto the road, he looked both ways, then behind him. There had to be a town somewhere if there was a bus stop.

Deciding to look for a map, Ryuuya headed back to the sheltered bench and sighed in relief. There was a town just uphill, and the nearest path there was just behind the stop. Making his way around the shelter, Ryuuya began his climb. The path was a bit overgrown, but it wasn't to steep and it was easy to walk. Seemed it was still in use.

He began to whistle a song his father had, feeling his spirits lift. It was easy to forget why he was out here and just take in the surrounding beauty of the towns he visited. He was glad he was away from home, out in the world. Yukito had always encouraged it, while Rena had been overbearing and denied him most chances to go out and play as a child.

Ryuuya's good mood didn't last too long, as he found the path a bit harder than expected. As the slope became steeper, he started grumbling. This _wasn't_ his idea of a good time. Why was the trail even still available? Unless the map had been out of date.

Unable to answer his questions, Ryuuya made his way up the hill, and at around noon, several hours after he had started, he reached level ground.

It was a paved road, and a small one. He looked both ways before stepping onto it and sighed, lifting the few stubborn strands of hair out of his face. They flopped back down, sticking to his face again. Silently cursing his hair, Ryuuya headed off.

It wasn't long until he reached a small market district, and caught site of a refreshments stand. Grinning, he headed over, digging into his pocket.

"What'll it be, young man?" the man behind the counter asked. Ryuuya looked around at the drinks, chewing his lip.

"What's you're most popular?"

"This one here." Ryuuya almost began salivating at the sight of the moist glass. He frowned, then began to dig through his pack, growing more frantic by the second. "No way, this isn't happening… no way, no way, no way!" he muttered. But to no avail.

His money was gone.

Ryuuya slumped where he was. This was just perfect. He had left his money on the bus, great.

"Sorry sir, I'll have to come back…" Ryuuya said dejectedly, turning away. He walked along the small road, not hearing the man call after him, soon lost in the crowd. He made his way along the paths cut into the very side of the hill the town was set upon, too wrapped up in self-pity to pay attention to where he was going.

He was so deep in thought, that he didn't hear the bike bell coming from his right. Or the cry of shock and fright. What he did notice, was the bike shadow flying across his field of vision. He looked up in time to see a girl just before she landed on him, laying him flat on his stomach.

"OW! OW! OW! That hurt!"

"If you think that hurt, wait till I'm through with you if you don't move soon…" Ryuuya grumbled, trying to sit up.

"Oh wow! I'm sorry!" the girl exclaimed, getting off of him enough so that he could turn. Sitting, Ryuuya rubbed his head and tried to focus his vision on the girl kneeling between his legs, her arms on either side of his waist.

She had large blue eyes, long, thick black hair, and bells in her braids.

Something clicked, and Ryuuya couldn't look away.

* * *

Sorry about the long wait for this chapter, i've been wondering if this one was any good, tell me what you think, and if you feel i need to, i'll rewrite it happily ^^ I haven't even started the next chapter, unfortunatly ^^;

Thankx again for reading! see you next time!


	4. Comfortable Unease

_It was a peaceful, early summer day. Ryuuya had only just come to the shrine, and in his free time, had decided to explore and learn the ins and outs of this place he was supposed to be guarding. It was quaint, and was seemingly a small world, wrapped up in four walls. Almost depressing. _

_There was a gust of wind, and the sound like a large bird going into flight. Ryuuya turned in time to glimpse what he thought to be a girl with large white wings before he was thrown to the ground, and he wasn't so sure about it anymore. _

"_Would you care to tell me, what you think you're doing all the way out here?"_

"_If you have time to talk, then you have time to get off of me too…" Ryuuya groaned. So there WAS a girl on his back, strange._

"_If I'm not mistaken, you're not from around here." The girl said as she obliged, letting Ryuuya gain his feet._

"_My name is Ryuuya, Assistant Lt. of the palace guard. So what about you? Who might you be?"_

"_You mean, you don't know who I am?"_

"_Well no, after all we did just meet…" Ryuuya said, crossing his arms. _

"_I guess so, I suppose I'm not as well known as I thought I was." The girl sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head a bit. "My name is Kanna."_

"_Really?" Ryuuya exclaimed, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "The winged person who ordered me to become a guard in the first place was named Kanna too." Ryuuya said. What he had seen was true then, she DID have wings._

"_That's just a, uh, coincidence." Kanna said, seeming slightly nervous. Ryuuya fought the urge to chuckle. _

"_Yeah, isn't that strange?" He couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing, much to the displeasure of Kanna, it seemed. _

"_WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?" She yelled. _

* * *

Ryuuya shook his head.

"What are you doing way out here?" The girl asked.

"Mind getting up while you talk?" Ryuuya grumbled. She did, but her attitude was a little haughty, something Ryuuya already didn't like. He kept his gaze even as he dusted himself off and looked at her.

"You aren't from around here, are you?" She asked.

"What was you're first clue? The smell, or the dirty clothes?" Ryuuya grumbled, shouldering his bag. She growled at him as she righted her bike. "My name is Ryuuya." He said. Leaving it at that.

"Not sure. May have been the stupid hair and the vacant look." She said, crossing her arms. "I am Kanna."

"Nice to meet you." Ryuuya said, beginning to walk off, his shoulders slumped. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find somewhere to stay for tonight that doesn't cost me a dime, or will let me work for room." He wasn't in a good mood for several reasons.

1. He had been on the road for weeks, with no idea where he was headed.

2. He hadn't had a proper bath for most of that time.

3. He had gotten in a fight with his mother, and was angry with her.

4. He had no money.

5. He had just gotten flattened by a strange girl, who didn't regret doing so.

What more could happen to him today?

"I know a place where you can stay." Kanna said suddenly. Ryuuya, a good several yards away and nearly to the corner turned, slightly surprised.

"Yeah?"

"Duh, why would I have said anything if I didn't? Come on, this way." And Kanna rolled her bike up a set of stairs she must have been trying to jump before she landed on Ryuuya. He followed her a little reluctantly, but with the promise of a place to stay, he didn't argue.

They paused at the bottom of a large staircase, one that would normally lead to a shrine. Kanna parked her bike, then began to climb, so Ryuuya followed. When they reached the top, Ryuuya stood gaping. Kanna paused at the topmost step into the shrine, and glowered at him.

"What? Never seen an orphanage before?" She asked. Ryuuya shook his head and composed himself.

"Truthfully, no. But I didn't think a shrine would be used as an orphanage."

"So? This shrine was empty for years, so they rebuilt it, and turned it into an orpahange as the number of parentless children grew. And it sort of stayed an orphanage." Kanna explained as Ryuuya climbed the steps. He looked around, seeing a small world within a large one. "I've been here all my life." Kanna said, answering Ryuuya's unasked question. He looked out the windows and at what little of the outside he could see, it was a very small world, all boxed in. like something wasn't supposed to get out, and he wondered if the fence had been there before. He didn't think so, but there was a tiny little shiver in the base of his neck that said it had been.

Ryuuya tried to ignore the feeling and followed Kanna into the Shrine. He had never been in an orphanage, true, but he hadn't even seen one this nice online. It was very well taken care of and the residents seemed to be happy, even though their clothes were less than the best. The only one who didn't look happy was Kanna, Ryuuya noticed.

"Ewwww! He smells!"

Ryuuya growled at the remark made by the young child. Yes, he knew he smelled.

"Where did you find him, Kanna? In the ditch?" Asked another small child. Ryuuya flinched, having been poked in the back with a stick. He whirled around and grabbed it.

"Oi! It's rude to point and stare, you little squirts!" He yelled, since the offenders were running down the hall and screaming.

"Hey, do you want to talk to the house mother or don't you?" Kanna yelled angrily from down the hall. Ryuuya turned to see her looking quite annoyed.

"Fine, fine, I'm coming." Ryuuya grumbled. Kanna glowered at him, seeming to regret her decision to lead Ryuuya to this place. Something had told her too though, and she had found it hard to resist the urge.

They approached a sliding door behind which could be heard a dishwasher and the sound of someone singing softly. Ryuuya suppressed the shivers as Kanna opened the door. The song was eerily familiar.

"Uraha! Uraha, I brought someone." Kanna said as she opened the door with no hesitation. Ryuuya felt the oddest scene of reluctance to enter the room, and hesitated as he lifted his foot.

"Oh really?" came a soft, motherly voice that gave Ryuuya a sense of comfort he hadn't had for years, and was suddenly regretting he had thrown his phone away. It was too late though, he couldn't go back and find it since he didn't know where it was. "Well, then, where is he?"

"I dunno. Take a whiff." Kanna said.

"Kanna, be nice."

Ryuuya glowered at the comment Kanna made, this giving him the drive to go through the door and snap at the small girl.

Ryuuya froze the moment he made eye contact with the woman called Uraha. Her eyes were golden, a color he had never seen before, her greenish hair tied back into a low pony tail to keep it out of her face and the food she was preparing for the orphans. Uraha had frozen too. She had never seen the young man before her, yet for some reason there was a tickle in the back of her mind that told her she knew him intimately.

Kanna gave the two a confused glance, and then Uraha started giggling.

"Oh, you poor thing!" She said, hiding her mouth. Ryuuya scowled, glad something was happening.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you would let me stay on here for awhile, work for food and board. If you wouldn't mind too terribly much, I can work for pay as well. I lost all my money. I'll be out of your hair soon enough." Ryuuya said.

"Oh, pssh. You can stay here as long as you need. I have more than enough food to feed all the little mouths here. Your big one won't make a difference. We get regular donations from the town, and if you start working here, no one will mind in the slightest." Uraha smiled, her giggling finally done.

"Thank you so much!" Ryuuya said, happily, bowing.

"It's not a problem. Really." Uraha smiled. She walked to the door and called out. "Shiro! Shiro can you come here?" there was the sound of pattering feet, and around the corner came a boy about 8 years old, with black hair and eyes. Uraha kneeled down to his level and smiled. "Can you do Auntie Uraha a favor?" she asked. Shiro nodded. "Can you take this nice man to the baths? He's been traveling, and he's tired. You can do that, right?" Shiro nodded, and grabbed Ryuuya's hand. "I'll leave some clothes in the dressing room for you!" Uraha called as she went down a separate hall.

Ryuuya followed the quite little boy, looking around. They reached the baths, and Ryuuya stood dumbly as Shiro grabbed him everything he would need and handed them to Ryuuya. He could only nod is thanks as the boy left, who smiled in return. Ryuuya snapped out of it a little later, and smiled. "Weird kid, cute though." He said.

Ryuuya had to contain his excitement as he got undressed and then entered the large bathing area reserved for the males of the orphanage. He hurried to wash and rinse himself before happily sinking into the waters in the middle of the room to relax. He sighed and looked at the ceiling, remembering Uraha. He didn't suppress the shiver now. It wasn't a chilling shiver, but more of a warm, welcoming one that warmed his heart. It was strange, since he had never had a feeling like that before. As much as it felt good, it unnerved him.

He heard the door open to the dressing room, and then close seconds later, then silence. It had to have been Uraha. His heart picked up it's pace for a few moments, and Ryuuya sighed. Things were getting much too confusing.


	5. Visions, Apprehensions

Ryuuya woke slowly the next day, having slept in an old and unused room, it was slightly stuffy despite the open window. He sat up and stretched, yawning. His hair was down, and his bangs were as spiky as ever, though this didn't really bother him. He yawned, stretched, and not bothering to tie back his hair, wandered out of the room he had been granted and towards the kitchen. He could already smell the food Uraha was preparing and smiled. He opened the door, preparing to say good morning, but yelled in surprise with someone else as pots crashed to the floor.

"Uraha!" He cried hurrying into the room. "are you okay?" He asked, kneeling beside her and helping her up.

"I'm okay." Uraha smiled sheepishly, giggling. She tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and shook out her clothes.

"You sure?" he Ryuuya asked, still concerned. He grabbed a napkin and approached her. "You have a cut, right here…" he said, pressing the item to the small wound. She turned to face him, and even though she was older than him, he nearly towered over her. They both flushed a little, each feeling a surge of emotion that they knew didn't belong to them.

"Uraha? Uraha you in here?" Ryuuya and Uraha froze momentarily as the door opened. "Oi, what's this?"

Ryuuya turned to see a young man about the same age as Uraha, perhaps a little older. He was looking rather irritated at the sight of Ryuuya bending over Uraha. He pulled back, rubbing his head nervously. "She had a bit of an accident." He said. Uraha nodded.

"Really, Sen. You worry too much."

Uraha's small laugh faded as Ryuuya left the room. He pressed a hand to his head and groaned, closing his eyes. What was going on?

"Hey, what's wrong with you, smelly?" Ryuuya glanced over to see Kanna.

"Good morning to you too." He muttered. He picked at his shirt and realized it was most likely Sen's. As if a confirmation, he heard the man asking Uraha about it hotly. Kanna rolled her eyes and shoved a roll into Ryuuya's hand and grabbed the other, dragging him outside.

"So… That guy is Uraha's boyfriend?" He asked her. Kanna nodded.

"Yeah, he's a real jerk too." She said. "If they get married, he's gonna move her away, so that she cant stay on and help us. We already know who's going to be the next house mother, and none of us kids like her at all." She said, sitting on a bobbing ride and munching on her roll sadly. Ryuuya sat on one also, looking horribly out of place.

"That's no good. She seems to love the work she does."

"Yep! She's only been her for a short amount of time, but it feels like she's been here for forever. She actually pays attention to me."

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"So… lived here since you were a baby?" He asked tentatively. Kanna nodded.

"Probably the only other time someone paid much attention to me at all was when I couldn't walk. Once I could, not even the kids played with me very much." She shrugged. "I hate going to school, it's boring and no one talks to me."

"Let me guess, you don't do very well either?" He asked. She puffed out her cheeks angrily.

"Watch it Mister." she growled.

"I can help you out with your school work if you want." He said. "Well, once it starts up again." He added, popping the last of the roll into his mouth. Kanna tilted her head and looked at him, as if no one had ever offered to help her before.

"You'd do that?"

"Sure. Why not?" He asked, giving her a quizzical look. She looked a little stunned before glowering.

"Stop looking at me like that stupid!" Ryuuya put his hands up in defense.

"Sorry, sorry." She said, crossing them over the head of the animal he was sitting on and looking off towards the shrine. He got that little shiver down his spine as he saw Uraha saying goodbye to Sen. His fathers voice echoed in his head about the girl in the sky, and wondered what the rest of the story was. He found himself desperately wanting to know.

"So why are you out here anyway?" Kanna asked suddenly. Ryuuya shrugged.

"I'm asking myself the same thing…" He muttered. Kanna looked at him funny and shrugged. She stood and bopped him on the head.

"I'll see you around, weirdo." She said, waving and walking back to the shrine. Ryuuya frowned and watched her go, there was a flash, just a spilt second, and the terrain changed, the shrine looked newer, the sky was brighter, and Kanna… wasn't the Kanna he knew. Her hair was tied the same, but she was in a pink kimono.

He blinked, and Kanna was vanishing behind the door. He shook his head to clear it. _What the hell just happened?_

///***\\\

"There you go, thank you so much for chopping wood, but im sorry you missed the main meal." Uraha said. Ryuuya shrugged.

"It's fine. I don't mind. Kids are all asleep then?"

"Yes. Or their getting around to it."

"Kanna too? Seems odd, she's quite a bit older than the others."

"Oh, she likes to set an example. She goes to bed early to read a bit before bed, and when lights out is called, she shuts her lamp off." Uraha smiled.

"Huh, good idea." Ryuuya said, eating a bit more. They sat in silence for a bit.

"So, what are you traveling for?" Uraha asked after a few moments. Ryuuya glanced up at her, then back at his food.

"I'm… looking for someone." he finally said. "It's been a sort of mission for my family, for a long, long time." He said quietly. "My father used to tell me a story, of a girl trapped in the sky." he said, picking at his food a bit.

"That's so sad." she said quietly. "What's the story?" She asked, tilting her head. Ryuuya smiled a bit, and relayed the story to her, including the one of his fathers success in finding the girl after she had prodded a bit. By the end. She was dabbing tears away. "How depressing…" She said softly. "I wish I could be of some help." She smiled. Ryuuya returned it.

"I don't know, I… think I might stay on here awhile though. If that's alright." he said. After all the weird things happening, he figured he should. Uraha smiled.

"Of course. I don't mind at all. Sen helps out occasionally, but it's not the same as having someone here consistently who can help." She smiled. Ryuuya smiled.

"I'm glad to help out." he said, eating more. He felt at peace at the moment, and he almost felt as if they had shared more than one meal like this. They spoke late into the night, and he stopped worrying about the strange sensations he was getting. They mostly spoke about Kanna, about her sad life. She'd been shuffled from one orphanage to another, and had been at this one for several years. Uraha herself had only been there about a year now. No one knew where the girls mother was, or any of her family. She was completely alone. Uraha spent a lot of her time with the girl, she'd befriended her, and become close to her. Ryuuya felt the urge to do the same.

After saying goodnight, he paused by kanna's room, and slid the door open a little. His gaze softened as he watched the girl sleep. He blinked suddenly and turned around, looking down the darkened hallway. No one was there, but it felt as if a million people were watching him. He took a step backwards, staring down the hall. His heart pounded, and his head started to ache. So many voices were echoing now… Ryuuya brought a hand to his head and turned, running out of the shrine and into the woods, The voices were overpowering, he was getting dizzy. He collapsed to his knees, and turned his head to the clear, star filled sky.

"JUST STOP IT ALREADY!!!"

_Why didn't I realize it sooner? All I ever needed was to be here with you and to make you laugh. If I just could have done that I would have been content… _

* * *

Im really sorry about the wait, thank you all for sticking with me, if you have. It's been very hard to keep this chapter in line with the others, and I've been struggling with the timing of Ryuuya's experience with Kanna. It's not going to be the same as Yukito's was, but it's not going to be the same as the original story, so it's been difficult trying to get it right. I hope to have more up very soon. I'll work really hard.

Not to mention, school and work are getting in the way as well as writers block. feels kinda pathetic, i only have one college course at the moment, so it's mostly work, lol


	6. Strange Occurrence

Ryuuya sat up with a start, and found himself in bed. He wondered vaguely how he had gotten there and pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. He remembered how many voices were echoing in his head, so many wishes and prayers about the girl in the sky… a thousand years worth it felt like. Though his fathers, his fathers voice had been so clear in the end. Ryuuya didn't know the whole story, he knew part of it. _All I needed was to make you laugh…_ He frowned, remembering the words. To make her laugh… he looked out the window as he fell back against his pillows. It had only been a few days, but so many strange things had happened.

Sighing, Ryuuya got up and tied his hair back. He slid open the door, and jumped, staring right at the angry blue-green eyes of Sen.

"Um… hi?" He said tentatively.

"What are you doing here?" Sen asked, crossing his arms and still glaring.

"Working. I've been traveling awhile, and just lost all my money on the bus that dropped me off here. Uraha let me borrow some of your clothes, sorry. I'll be getting more of my own once I have some money." He explained, picking at the shirt he had put back on. Sen was quiet for a moment.

"Fine… Sorry, I… overreacted…"

"Nah, it's okay. She's your girlfreind, right?" Ryuuya smiled. "I'm sure anyone would be a little protective if their girl was living with a strange guy." Sen shrugged.

"Some people say im too protective. That Kanna girl, for one." He said. "Uraha has been acting strange ever since she started working here. It's got me worried." Ryuuya smiled a little. Seemed Sen wasn't anyone to worry about.

"Hey, im not going to make a move on a woman I know is taken, relax." He said. "Besides, she's about what, five years older than I am?" Sen shrugged.

"Sounds about right." He said. Ryuuya fell silent, giving Sen a sidelong glance. He still wasn't sure what to make of him, but he didn't seem too bad. The two entered the small kitchen where Uraha and Kanna were working to finish breakfast. The helped carry the food out to the dining hall, where the children said a short prayer and then the noise began, so the four of them had to almost shoutt o be heard over the noise, as they tried to talk amongst themselves and also as they tried to quiet the kids down. Ryuuya watched as, afterwards, the kids each washed their own utensils and took them back to cubbies in the dining area, each with their name on it.

Ryuuya started work in earnest that day. He was glad he was good with his hands, always had been. He had captain of the sword fighting club he was a member of all through his school years. During his free time he either hung around with Kanna, or played with the boys of the orphanage. Shiro was the on who sought out Ryuuya's attention most of all. He would climb a ladder and watch as Ryuuya fixed a hole in the roof, or he would peer around the corner of the building as Ryuuya would teach a few of the boys to sword fight with make-shift fake swords. He wold smile as he saw Shiro trying to hide, but be noticed at the same time, and gave him special attention. The boy was quiet, but had talent. He would help as Ryuuya fixed the paper doors inside, and parts of the porch around the building. He often told the boy he'd make quite the handyman when he grew up. This would make Shiro giggle and close his eyes as Ryuuya ruffled his hair.

Ryuuya also got his fun from teasing Kanna. She was far to easy to do so, and she had hilarious reactions. He felt some sort of strange connection to her, like he did Uraha, but this was different. How, he didn't know, but he could tell it wasn't the same.

At night, he and Uraha would talk before they went to bed, and he found himself enjoying her company more and more.

///***\\\

A month after Ryuuya had started staying at the orphanage, there was a big event happening. It was mid summer, adoption day. One of three in the entire year. Ryuuya watched as the kids either acted far shyer than they really were, or more obnoxious than normal. Shiro was the only one who was the same. He hid behind Ryuuya's legs, looked shyly out at the people all around them. Ryuuya just kept his hand on the back of the boys head, rubbing gently.

Closer to the end of the event, a young couple came over to him. Shiro hid behind Ryuuya's legs even more. The young woman knelt, and smiled at him. "Hey hunny, What's your name?" She asked. Shiro clutched Ryuuya's pant leg tighter. He knew they could recognize him as one of the children living there by his name tag. Ryuuya smiled.

"This is Shiro. He's a quite boy, but has a lot of energy." he said, smiling at the boy. Days like today were scary for the kids. Even when a couple came by on a normal day, they acted differently. They never knew who would get left behind, or who would be taken, or where they would be taken to, or even if someone would be picked over them. Kanna was nowhere to be seen, her reasoning, Who wanted a fifteen year old girl? Ryuuya had to agree, even though it was a sad thought. She'd never had a real family.

The woman backed up a bit, and held her hand out to Shiro. "Come on out, let me see you." She smiled. While She tried to coax Shiro out, her husband told Ryuuya quietly what they had been going through. She had been pregnant five times in the past three years, each one failed. She'd become so depressed, the only way he figured to help her feel better, was to stop trying too _have_ a kid and adopt one. They hadn't found a single kid to warm up to them yet though. And he'd been getting discouraged. She just kept trying though.

It was with a happy squeal that Ryuuya knew Shiro had come out a bit more. He stepped away after a few moments, leaving Shiro to talk to the young couple. If they decided to keep him, he'd miss the boy. Soon enough it was apparent, if the look on the boys face was anything to go by, Happy and scared at the same time. The young couple said their goodbyes, and promised they'd be by tomorrow to pick him up.

It was about this time, Uraha came over to Ryuuya, scared and panicked.

"Ryuuya!! Ryuuya I cant find her anywhere!!" She cried, fisting her hands in his shirt.

"Calm down!" Ryuuya said, gripping her shoulders. "who is it? Naomi?" He asked. She was known for her games of hide and seek that left you freaking out, when she was just under the table, sleeping or something.

"No! It's Kanna! She was in her room just a half hour ago!" She sobbed. "I cant find her anywhere! She never does this!" Ryuuya blinked. This was unlike Kanna. She always let you know what she was doing.

"Alright, calm down, and we'll find her!" He said, gripping Uraha's shoulders. She nodded, wiping her tears away. They headed off, looking in all the rooms incase she had just been missed. Several minutes later, Sen darted in, yelling. "She's on the roof!!" Ryuuya felt a thrill of terror go through him, and he was out the door with the remaining potential adopters and a few city officials.

Sure enough, Kanna was standing as if in a daze at the corner of the roof, the wind blowing her hair about gently.

"Kanna!!!" Uraha called. Ryuuya's face hardened to a determined gaze, and he sprinted for the shed, pulling out the ladder he normally used and made his way up to the roof faster than he ever did. He sidled his way along the roof carefully, praying each step that she wouldn't make a move before he cold get to her.

"Kanna, Kanna can you hear me?" He asked when he was only a few feet away. She turned to face him, dazed looking.

"Sir. Ryuuya…" She almost whispered. This shocked him so much, he almost didn't see her falling. He made a jump, and didn't realize what had happened until someone screamed, and he noticed he was hanging onto the edge of the roof with just one hand, Kanna in his other hand, passed out cold. Someone was calling for a mattress, or five. He didn't dare look down, only concentrated on his slipping grip.

///***\\\

"_How long has it been since you were here last?"_

"_I imagine that you've gotten used to life at the shrine after all this time."_

"_My robes are splendid, but… I'm as good as a prisoner here…" _

"_A winged person acts as a messenger to the Gods. In times of famine and pestilence, She uses her spiritual powers to communicate directly with the Gods and intercede on our behalf." Ryuuya said. The two stood on the porch that wound its way around the shrine. It was a glorious summer day, and he wondered how she didn't get to warm in those robes she always wore. "I assume your living conditions would better reflect that." he said, a smile in his voice. _

"_Just having wings doesn't make me a messenger to the gods." Kanna said, slightly irritated. _

"_So where are you're wings right now?" Ryuuya asked, looking at the young woman._

"_I keep them hidden." She replied as he leaned back, staring at her back. "I prefer to be seen as any other human." She said. Ryuuya reached, and lay his hand on her lower back gently. This was probably a bad idea, as Kanna freaked immediately. _

"_What do you think you're doing?!!!" She screamed, flushing and glaring at him, shoulders set in a defiant position._

"_I was just seeing if that's where you had your wings hidden." Ryuuya explained, not fazed at all by her outbreak. _

"_Oh so what?! You just go around touching people all the time without asking?!! How rude is that?!!"_

_Ryuuya was about to roll his eyes when someone started giggling behind him. Being the hard-to-sneak-up-on guy he was, he spun around and grabbed his sword, on the defense. He was supposed to be protecting this girl behind him. It was a young woman with greenish hair, in robes almost as fine as Kanna's, holding a fan in front of her face. _

"_And what is so funny, Uraha?' Kanna asked, irritated once again._

"_I was only laughing because you were so embarrassed by his touch, Lady Kanna." _

"_You should be more careful, I don't think I'd make a habit of sneaking up on people like that." Ryuuya said, relaxing. He knew this woman. _

"_I see you've called on Sir. Ryuuya again, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you've grown extremely fond of him." Uraha said, smiling over at Kanna, who started flailing her arms in protest._

"_Whaaaaaaaat!? Well, I mean that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my whole entire life!!! All I'm trying to do is teach some manners to this rude, impolite, shameless despicable person here!!!" She ranted. Ryuuya gave her a weird look over his sholder, going over the names in his head while she tapped her fingers together, flushing brightly. _

"_I wouldn't blame you if you were." Uraha said, smiling. "There's never been anyone else quite like him." Ryuuya paused a moment, and looked at Uraha as she put her fan back up over her mouth as she began giggling. _

* * *

_There, you guys are being spoild. _

_Two chapters in one day XD more or less_

However! you got a nasty cliffhanger! Mwahahhahhahahahahaha!!!!! I wanted to put in another flashback to the past, so there ya go! lol. Those three are hilarious. And i decided Sen isnt going to be all that bad, he's just concerned for Uraha, since she's been acting funny. It's the spirit of the past Uraha kinda activating. Im sure you've guessed thats happening with Kanna and Ryuuya as well. What with all the funky things Ryuuya is feeling and seeing.

well, see ya next time!!


	7. Remembering

The sun was setting over the ocean, turning the water gold. It was a beautiful sight, like it always was. Yukito sat next to Misuzu as usual. They were silent, not having much to talk about.

"I had a dream last night." The blonde girl said, still looking out over the ocean.

"Yeah? I have dreams all the time." THe silver haired young man replied. She really was a weird one.

"This was a dream… about the sky…" She said quietly. Yukito looked at her, the wind blowing his hair around, and his eyes widened a little in curiosity. "I was in the sky in a world I'd never seen before, never could have imagined. You see, when your sitting on the ground like we are, you can only look up and the clouds are always above you, but in my dream it was totally different. The clouds were under my feet. I could see the blue of the ocean below them. But I couldn't tell how far down the water was because everything went on forever like the whole world was stretching out to infinity." Yukito looked at her for a moment longer, then back out at the ocean.

"Hey…" He said. "Do you remember, if you had wings in your dream?" He asked.

"Hmm? I dunno. I didn't notice."

"You probably shouldn't go around telling people about your dreams and stuff."

"Don't worry, you're the only one I've told, Yukito." She smiled.

///***\\\

Kanna had been lulled to sleep by the warm night air and the sounds of the crickets under the porch and the frogs in the streams. It was always like this in the summer. So relaxing.

Ryuuya and Uraha paused outside her room, before the guard slipped inside, walking to the winged girls bedside quietly.

"Hey, Kanna… wake up." He said quietly, leaning over her. The young girl opened her eyes, widening in shock as she saw the man above her. "How are you?" He asked, grinning creepily. Kanna screamed, and started flailing.

"Gyahhh! Intruder! Guar-mmhmf!!" Ryuuya had hurriedly placed his hand over her mouth to shut her up, holding her to him.

"Shhh! Don't make so much noise!" he hissed. "I need to talk to you!" He said as she calmed down, realizing who it was and seeing Uraha outside. "Do you want to see you're mother again?" He asked when she had quieted. Kanna stared, unable to help a sound that confirmed his question. She did, she missed her mother, even though she didn't remember a thing about her. "I've sworn not to disobey Kannabi no Mikoto's orders, not matter what they are. Therefore, if you order me to help you find your mother, I will risk my life to do it for you."

Kanna could only stare at the guard. She felt love for him, that was for sure, and was taken aback by this act of his. The hope was almost too much for her to bear. Ryuuya leaned in close, his hands on either side of her lap, nearly in her face.

"Now, as my mistress, will you order me to take you away?" he asked. She blinked.

_Oh Sir Ryuuya…_ She thought quietly. _This… is so unexpected… It means so much to me… but I…_

////*****\\\\

\\\\*****////

_My head is killing me…_

That was the only thing going through his head when he came to. His head was pounding, and after a few minutes, he could actually feel a bandage. "ughhh…" He groaned… trying to sit up. "What happened?" He wondered out loud quietly. A flash of passing scenery and the sensation of falling came back to him and he frowned.

"Oh my goodness!" He looked to the door a little too fast, and saw Uraha standing there, looking a bit more pale than normal. Sen was behind her, giving him an odd look. "You're awake! Im so glad." Uraha said, kneeling beside him and checking his temperature, making him lay down again.

"Stay laying down, You hit your head pretty hard, Ryuu." She said. Ryuuya didn't complain. He closed his eyes and groaned a little. Sen told Uraha something quietly, and then left the room.

"What happened?" Ryuuya asked after a few moments of silence, opening his eyes to look at Uraha.

Uraha looked down at the young man who had started so many strange feelings in her. She hadn't been spared in the month he had been there. She had been having strange recollections just as they had, but like them, she didn't say anything.

"It was terrifying. Kanna, she had some sort of attack, I don't know. She had gotten delusional, and some how gotten to the roof. I couldn't find her, and then Sen noticed her up there. You grabbed the ladder and climbed up after her while Sen called the fire department. She turned when you called her name, and fell. You jumped after her and just barely grabbed the edge of the roof when you caught her, but you lost your grip and fell." She wiped a few tears away. "S-Sen caught you, but only broke your fall. You still hit your head, on the railing. I was so terrified, Kanna wasn't hurt, but she's still asleep. She's woken up a few times, but was pretty disoriented. She keeps talking about a dream she's been having about flying." She said quietly.

"She's been dreaming about flying?" Ryuuya asked. "She called me _Sir_ Ryuuya the other day, or whenever that happened." He said. Uraha blinked. Seeing a darkened room, though she was looking up at him, she suddenly felt distressed and angry. Before she could be confused, the image was gone, and Ryuuya was asleep again. She wiped her eyes again, and watched him. He looked older. The days of work in the sun had tanned his skin and aged him. He didn't look like a boy anymore, more like a man. She smiled and stood. She didn't know how, but she knew he'd be okay.

///***\\\

Uraha ended up facing the city officials about the situation, but in the end she wasn't blamed for the Kanna situation and Ryuuya was back to normal in a few more days, able to was able to say goodbye to a teary eyed Shiro. Ryuuya promised to go play with him again, which satisfied the boy. His new mother was already doting on him quite a bit.

It was about Mid summer, and he and Kanna had finally been able to hang out together again.

"Been awhile, hasn't it?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yeah. It has, hasn't it?" He said. After Uraha had said something about Kanna mentioning her dreams to her, he was having some now. He was older, the world was younger, Air cleaner. He was always on the move in the dreams, and often he thought Uraha and Kanna were there also. "So, I heard you've been having funky dreams." he said for conversation.

"Whats so weird about dreaming about flying?' Kanna asked, sticking her tongue out at him. "Just some dreams is all." She huffed.

"So? What are they like?" he pressed. She glared.

"Well, the night before I got all funny that one day, I had one where there was a full moon in a clear night sky…" Ryuuya watched as the young woman's face grew distant, relaxed and dreamy like. "I was trying to fly to the top of the sky, but there were voices echoing all around me, like they were trying to catch me. I hurt all over. I, got scared and woke up. I was thinking about that when I blacked out." She said, shrugging. Ryuuya hummed a little. He didn't know what to say.

"How long have you been having these dreams?" he asked.

"Hmmmm… I'd say since you came here. That's about when they started." Kanna said. Ryuuya paused and stared wide eyes after her as she kept walking.

_Dad… could she be…?_

But if it was her, then why had Yukito had such a difficult time? Why would he, Ryuuya, have it easy? It baffled him, really. He had no idea why.

_All I ever needed was to be here with you and make you laugh…_

Ryuuya smiled gently as Kanna talked about something. He could do that. Making her laugh was pretty easy, actually. He liked just being around her. When it was him, Kanna, and Uraha, they almost seemed like a family.

_If she becomes attached to anyone, both she and the person she loves will fall ill._

_Neither one will survive._

* * *

Haha!!!

there, chapter SEVEN!

finally, i've got my but in gear. lol

Yeah, Uraha, Ryuuya, and Kanna are all effected by dreams. Kanna's dreams are pretty damn close to Misuzu's, as im sure you can tell, if not exactly like hers.

Im kinda feeling sorry for Sen, he's all freaked out. Didnt get a good chance to put this in here, but Sen was caring for Ryuu one night, and Ryuuya started talking in his sleep from one of is dreams. Nothing he said made any sense... to Sen. Since Ryuuya was repeating things his ancestor said.

Is anyone still confused as to WHY Ryuuya has no magical powers?

Ryuuya is forgetting a few things that Yukito told him, like the last two lines of the chapter there.

Tried using the movie for some lingo or flashback bits, but i dont think anything will work, using the anime all the way through. lol

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^^ thankx again for reading!

does anything in the autor not make any sence? O.o last time i update at 2 in the morning... .;;;;


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